I hear that in the Mediterranean Sea islands are constantly forming and sinking due to the movements of tectonic plates. Could Atlantis, that Plato described, be one of these islands?
   Michael, 13, Lansing, Michigan

Dr. dig responds:

Plato describes Atlantis as an extensive island and powerful kingdom that eventually was lost beneath the sea. Although the movement of tectonic plates can drastically affect the position of entire continents over millions of years, no substantial changes among the islands of the Mediterranean have taken place during recorded history. A much more important geological effect in this region is volcanic action, the most famous example being the eruption of the island of Thera (known today as Santorini) (and the destruction of the Bronze Age town Akrotiri there) in approximately 1600 b.c.

Some people think that Thera is Atlantis, but this is not a widely accepted theory. Many archaeologists consider Atlantis a legendary place.